Estimated price 650-750 million, will Mitsubishi Xforce become the ‘second Xpander’?

Pictures of Mitsubishi Xforce are continuously leaking in Vietnam. This is an indication that this car model will launch in the Vietnamese market in late December or early January next year as previously reported by sales consultants. As expected, the car will be opened for sale and delivered to customers before the Lunar New Year.

Dealers sources said that Mitsubishi Xforce is imported from Indonesia, the expected price is 650-750 million VND. There are at least 3 variants of the car, which compete in the B-class SUV/CUV segment – ​​an extremely vibrant segment in Vietnam, accounting for 10% of the market share in September 2023.

Obstacles to the success of Mitsubishi Xforce

If launched in Vietnam a year ago, the Mitsubishi Xforce would probably have had an easier ride than it does now. The economic slowdown, rising interest rates and low demand for cars are forcing carmakers into an unprecedented race to lower prices, inadvertently creating friction between segments.

Specifically, with an expected selling price of 650-750 million VND, the Mitsubishi XForce high version will “touch” the Mazda CX-5 (selling price from 749 million VND), which is positioned in the C-class SUV/CUV segment. It is one of the best selling models in the market.

Not only positioned in the above segment, the Mazda CX-5 also has an advantage as it is assembled domestically and is eligible for 50% registration fee incentive from the government.

Even without the CX-5, customers can easily consider other C-class SUV/CUV models that currently have good prices such as the Subaru Forester from 749 million VND and the Hyundai Tucson from 769 million VND.

Meanwhile, the B-class SUV/CUV segment is also slowly gaining ground with the presence of 8 official competitors including the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, Toyota Yaris Cross, Mazda CX-3, Honda HR-V, MG ZS, Peugeot 2008 and Nissan. The crowd is increasing. Kick.

Toyota Yaris Cross is the newest name ever to enter the market with the most advanced technology like Toyota Safety Sense package and hybrid technology. However, when the price is reduced to 670 million (standard version) and 768 million VND (hybrid version), this car model is still not enough to convince Vietnamese people.

Meanwhile, the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos have been relatively strong, with the B-class SUV/CUV segment accounting for 79.4% of the market share in September. Both Korean models have the advantage in selling price. And enjoy 50% discount on registration fees.

In particular, the actual starting price of Hyundai Creta is currently less than 600 million VND, and the current starting price of Kia Seltos is 599 million VND.

Mitsubishi Xforce still open in Vietnam

At the GIIA 2023 auto show in Indonesia, Mitsubishi representatives publicly expected Xforce sales in Vietnam to reach the level of the Xpander – one of the best-selling car models in the Vietnamese market.

This assumption is not unfounded, as the Xforce is a product that Mitsubishi has carefully invested in based on the needs of customers in Southeast Asia.

Accordingly, the Mitsubishi XForce has almost retained the sporty and powerful aesthetic of the

On October 12, the car won the Gold Award for Best Transportation Design at the VMARK 2023 Awards. This is Xforce’s first launch in Vietnam, even though it is not open for sale yet.

The car is also graced with a range of segment-leading equipment, such as the 12.3-inch touch entertainment screen, 8-inch electronic dashboard, 2-zone automatic air conditioning or the high-end dynamic sound Yamaha speaker system. Premium. 21 water bottles of 600 ml each can be kept at various places in the cabin.

The Mitsubishi XForce uses the same chassis platform, 1.5 MIVEC engine and CVT automatic transmission with the Xpander. All have proven their durability in Vietnam for many years.

Additionally, the car features the same AYC technology as the Xpander Cross, highest ground clearance in the segment at 222mm and 4 driving modes including normal road, slippery road, gravel road, muddy road. This is the first time wet mode has appeared on a Mitsubishi.

Experts believe that Xforce also has an important advantage, which is the “Xpander effect”. When a brand is successful with a certain product line, the next products are naturally expected. This effect has maintained the Xforce’s appeal to Vietnamese people now, a year since the launch of the XFC concept.

However, with the current market situation, Vietnamese consumers not only compare prices between car models in the same segment, but also compare prices in adjacent segments. ‘Try a little harder…’ is a comment that often comes up when someone asks which car to buy.

Therefore, in addition to the advantages of design, equipment, comfort and handling, the Mitsubishi XForce needs a good enough price if it wants to explode in sales in Vietnam. Most people expect Xforce to be more reliable if the selling price is lower than 650-750 million VND, or preferential packages such as 50-100% registration fee are implemented.

Currently, Mitsubishi Vietnam is implementing an early booking program for customers from September 1 to November 30. Notably, customers will receive a free maintenance package for 2 years or 40,000 km (whichever is earlier) and an additional 1,000 points on the Mitsubishi Connect+ application.